Ok - I’ll admit it… I wasn’t ready for this trip. Not even close. I thought that because I took a few walks to the Starbucks right next to my house in my hiking boots that I would be ready to handle some hiking in the Middle East.

Sweet mercy.

I had no idea what awaited me.

I had no idea.

God knew what He had for me here. He knew how I needed to be broken physically to truly grasp the truth He has for me here. Lots of water, lots of heavy breathing, lots of overwhelming moments.

I stood where Elijah called down fire from heaven. I climbed where he climbed to face off against the prophets of Baal. It was eerily quiet up there. The kind of stunned silence that follows a dramatic event. The kind of silence that fills empty concentration camps, battlefields, and arenas. You can feel that the land has witnessed something spectacular and horrifying. 400 false prophets, crying out to the sky, cutting themselves, pleading with their god for his appearance… he doesn’t show… Elijah’s does. The God of Israel responds to the desperate cry of His prophet. Fire falls down from heaven… 400 false prophets, dejected and defeated, are butchered.

The story took on such different life as I stood there. This really happened. God really showed up.

I think I play it safe too much. Very few times in my life have I put something so deeply into God’s hands that if He fails to move I will be completely humiliated and maybe even harmed. Elijah stacked the odds so ridiculously against him that if God decided to do nothing, it would have cost him his life and God’s reputation.

As I sat on the top of that historic Mount, several thoughts raced through my head… What or who am I crying out to God for? What is my passionate plea? Am I living a life of risk and boldness for God?

This was a hard climb. Up the ancient path. I almost fell several times from the rocky terrain. I almost keeled over several times from the softness of my belly and the poor physical condition it represents. A hard climb that set the stage for a hard truth.

This is more than I bargained for…